Mario All-Stars Set for Wii

It's Super Mario's 25th anniversary this year, and it looks like Nintendo will be celebrating with a collectors compilation. A Nintendo Japan release calendar lists the previously unannounced "Super Mario Collection Special Pack" for Wii release on October 21.

Super Mario Collection is the Japanese name for Super NES's ultimate 8-bit Mario collection, Super Mario All-Stars. That game combined Super Mario Bros. the US and Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 (two totally different games), and Super Mario Bros. 3 in one, with spiffed up 16-bit graphics.

While the Nintendo calendar does not provide details on the new game, a retailer in attendance at a Nintendo retailer briefing earlier in the day did confirm this to be a "revival" of All-Stars. The game will ship for a low 2,500 yen (about $30), which is half the price of most Wii games in Japan.

The "Special Pack" part of the name comes from the bonuses Nintendo is including. Buyers will get an item known as "Super Mario History 1985 - 2010." This includes a booklet recapping the history of the franchise, and a soundtrack spanning the first Super Mario Bros. to the recent Mario Galaxy 2.

This retailer actually reported in advance on the existence of Collection along with some Japanese release dates that Nintendo later announced, so we're inclined to believe the report.

It looks like Nintendo will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. in style in Japan. Let's hope they do the same over here. Actually, scratch that. Let's hope they decide to celebrate Super Mario's 24th anniversary here so we get the compilation this year too!